Lycoming College and James V. Brown Library to present "Who Is Louisa May Alcott?"

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - Lycoming College's Snowden Library, in partnership with the James V. Brown Library, will present "Who Is Louisa May Alcott?," the first in a series of programs on the author of "Little Women," on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lowry Room, Welch Wing, of the James V. Brown Library.

Dr. Andrew Leiter, Lycoming associate professor of English and Louisa May Alcott scholar partner, along with members of Lycoming's Women's and Gender Studies Program, will discuss the life of Alcott and read from her works.

The event will include excerpts from a variety of works written by and about Alcott including the author's journals; "Hospital Sketches," which details her work as a nurse during the Civil War; "Behind a Mask, or A Woman's Power," one of Alcott's numerous sensational thrillers; "Transcendental Wild Oats," which satirizes her childhood experience on an experimental utopian commune; and letters, reviews and biographical pieces that document her struggles against the chauvinistic expectations for female authors.

Snowden Library was one of 30 libraries selected in the U.S. to receive a grant for the programming. The Louisa May Alcott programs are sponsored by the American Library Association Public Programs Office with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Founded in 1812 and celebrating its bicentennial during the 2011-12 academic year, Lycoming College is a national liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. It offers 35 academic majors and is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News and World Report. Located near the banks of the Susquehanna River in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation. For more information, visit www.lycoming.edu.